This content was created by Xtra’s branded content team alongside ODLAN, separate from Xtra’s editorial staff.
A new report from the Open Digital Literacy and Access Network (ODLAN) and Wisdom2Action is providing a closer look at some of the impacts transphobic online hate is having on members of the community, as well strategies to help organizations address and mitigate its effects.
“We know that we need social media companies to change their policies, we know we need broader rules of engagements, if you will, for online interactions,” said Evan Vipond, a researcher with ODLAN, which is dedicated to creating safe, accessible, and inclusive digital spaces for the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities through research and training. “But that is not something queer organizations themselves can do. We need governments to step up.”
Vipond worked on the project titled Digital Resilience: Addressing the Rise of Transphobic Online Hate through Community-Based Research. Being released at an in-person launch in downtown Toronto on Wednesday, March 26 — as well as virtually on Zoom — the report is based on interviews and questionnaires completed by members of the 2STN+ communities (two-spirit, trans, non-binary and anyone who does not identify as cisgender who work for queer organizations.
As well as highlighting their experiences and how online hate has impacted organizations, Vipond said the report also looks at the tangible things they can implement to create policies, procedures or best practices around transphobic online hate.
“We want the research to have that practical component and showcase things like policy development, monitoring social media accounts, removing certain information or making certain accounts private, or turning off commenting during certain times that are strategic if, for example, there has been an influx of hate,” Vipond said.
Rayan Saied is a project manager with Wisdom2Action, a social enterprise consulting firm that focuses on equity, diversity and inclusion, who was a co-researcher with Vipond on the project. Saied said this report comes off the heels of another one that was conducted with ODLAN that was focused on 2SLBGTQIA+ oline hate in general.
“Understanding that online hate is a serious issue and has serious negative consequences and impacts, the idea for this research project was to focus on trans communities, specifically those 2STN+ professionals who are working in 2SLGBTQIA+ serving organizations,” Saied said.
Among the survey and one-on-one interview questions Vipond and Saied asked were: Has your organization (including individual employees) experienced transphobic online hate from groups or individuals? Does your organization have strategies for mitigating incidents of transphobic online hate? And are there any other strategies that your organization has for preventing or addressing incidents of transphobic online hate?
It also asked about what platforms online hate was being received on, such as X, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or through email or the organization’s website, and the impact that online hate has had on employees.
“We did find that between the surveys and interviews that there was significant overlap in terms of the findings and what the experiences were,” Vipond said. “One of the things we found is that this is a growing issue. It is something almost everyone reported having experienced or witnessed in some way.
“A lot of the transphobic online hate is via social media platforms, but in public facing posts as well as direct messages. The organizations also did get a lot of direct hate through email as well, and non-online methods like phone messages and letters.”
Vipond said the hate received ranged from transphobic insults and purposeful misgendering to misinformation and disinformation, along with comments around discourses that trans people are a threat to children, for instance, or around the parental rights movement. Threats of death, violence and bombings were also received.
“Throughout the data we saw that 2STN+ professionals are practising a very high level of hyper-vigilance on the internet,” said Saied. “There is so much caution around what information is being shared. There is so much care being put into making sure what their professional online presence at work is hard to link to their personal social media. That can look like changing names and using aliases.
“We are also seeing a mental health impact. When folks talk about the ways that they cope there is almost always a need for mental health support, whether it is through therapy, through mental health counselling at work, or accessing social supports. That was a huge thing that came into play and signified the harm that was being done.”
Providing resources and supports for 2STN+ members impacted by transphobic online hate, including access to mental health supports, is among the recommendations outlined in the report.
It also recommends organizations engage in frequent and consistent communication of policies, strategies and the supports they provide, and offer training and resources for all members on topics such as how to mitigate and respond to transphobic online hate, how to promote digital safety and online security, and how to support victims of hate and be sensitive to 2STN+ people’s experiences with harm.
“One of the significant findings is how prevalent transphobic online hate is,” Vipond said. “Eighty per cent of those from the survey said they had experienced online hate in some capacity whether it was the organization itself targeted or them as employees. The significance of violent threats was another key finding, that the online hate is not restricted to name calling or slurs, it is actually quite dangerous. It can include threats to life.”
More findings and recommendations from Digital Resilience: Addressing the Rise of Transphobic Online Hate through Community-Based Research project will be released during the downtown Toronto event on Wednesday, March 26. To register to attend, or to take part in the virtual event, please visit odlan.ca.
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